Ask Us About Inspire - The Newest Innovation To Treat Sleep Apnea

For some obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients and their loved ones, a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (C.P.A.P.) device is the therapy that brings quiet and refreshing sleep to everyone in the household. However, for others, C.P.A.P. brings to mind anything but blissful, comfortable rest, and instead, can result in many sleep disruptions including unwanted noise, pressure intolerance, mask irritation, claustrophobia, nasal congestion, dry mouth and more. It is estimated that more than 40% of patients refuse to wear it. Many have been reported to unconsciously remove their CPAP masks during the night in favor of a more dangerous night’s sleep, in which pauses of breath or shallow breaths due to airway muscle collapse, result in a lack of oxygen and intermittent wakings from sleep. This can lead to a host of ailments, including high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and depression.

While C.P.A.P. is the gold standard treatment for OSA, the risk of misuse or discontinued use has created an opportunity for innovators to search for a less intrusive way to treat it. The result is neuromodulation, and it is slated to take the sleep market by storm in 2018.

Companies are now marketing an implant that in which stimulation is used to open key airway muscles throughout the night. Controlled by a remote or wearable patch, these systems include a breathing sensor and a stimulation lead powered by a small battery. During sleep, the systems sense breathing patterns and deliver mild stimulation to the tongue and throat to keep the airway open. Surgery to implant these new sleep apnea devices is minimally invasive and exhibits short recovery time. Positive results from clinical testing of this therapy include high percent reductions in both apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), the marker of sleep apnea severity, and oxygen desaturation events from baseline.

With more than 21 million Americans that suffer from sleep apnea and do not seek treatment, neuromodulation is predicted to be the technology to deliver a better night’s sleep to more OSA patients and spouses, and healthier communities nationwide.

For More http://innovations.clevelandclinic.org/Summit/Top-10-Medical-Innovations/Top-10-for-2018/2-Neuromodulation-to-Treat-Obstructive-Sleep-Apne.aspx